St. Paul daily globe., 1887-09-05
KALAKAUA'S CORNER,
The Hawaiian King Once Made
His Government a Purely
Personal One,
And Enjoyed an Absolute Veto
Power Against Legis-
lative Acts,
But the New Constitutional
League Likely to Force
Him to the Wall.
The Nevada Banks Condition
Change of Front by
Sugar Refiners.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept, News
from Honolulu, brought by the
steamer Alameda, which arrived
Yesterday, when viewed closely,
is important. King Kalakaua is
losing popularity instead of gaining
1t. He begins to realize more clearly
the Importance of the late practical
demonstrations and to see that the re-
suit OF the election which will take
place on the 18th inst. is not likely to
strengthen his power. Not only does he
see this. but he has expressed fears to
his advisors that the election will leave
him nothing beyond the fact that he
may, for time, still be addressed as
"his majesty" but the glory of power
will be vanished, and uneasy will be
head while it still wears the crown.
These forebodings were very clearly
set forth in an interview at Honolulu
with Clarence Wilder Ashford, attorney
general of the Hawaiian government.
by Leopold Jordan, London journalist.
and until lately one of the editors of the
Sydney Daily Telegraph. Mr.. Jordan,
on his way up from Australia, stopped
at Honolulu to examine the political
situation on the island. In his inter-
view with Attorney General Ashford
the latter said:
For years there has been great dis
satisfaction on the part of the white
people, and these, who are the chief
property owners, have had good cause
to complain"
"On what grounds were the complaints
made?''
''Well, the dissatisfaction was directed
chiefly against the extravaganza and ar
rogance of the government and its utter
refusal to be bound by laws of it's own
making."
Il take it, then, that protests were of
little or no avail.''
Protests were absolutely useless. The
Anglo-Saxon eXpedient of obtaining re-
forms, by constitutional measures.
failed for the reason that the constitu-
ton practically imposed no restraints
upon the king"
"Then it was purely personal gov
ernment?"
Precisely, and the king was the one
who conducted. He was thoroughly
autocratic. and If his ministers did not
fall in exactly with his opinions and
ideas of government, their designations
were demanded"
''Was the appointment of ministers
vested in the king?"
Every officer from the prime minis
ter to the most obscure politician was
personally appointed by his majesty"
The king practically dictated the whole
OF the legislation, and if, by any chance.
a bill passed which was not acceptable
to him, he promptly and decisively used
his unrestricted veto power. He di-
rected the electoral campaigns, and per-
sonally visited majority of
the constituencies while on his
electioneering tours. The people
seeing their attempts at reform were
treated with contempt, sought other
methods, having concluded that reform
must be obtained outside of the consti-
tuition, and secret order was formed in
January last, called the Hawaiian
league, its expressed object being con
stitutional representative government
in fact as we'll as in form, in the Ha-
waiian islands by all necessary MEANS
The league consisted of twelve men,
berS. Five were lawyers, three were
doctors and the remainder were bust
ness men. 1t grew rapidly after the
first two months, and many of the most
prominent Americans, Europeans and
native whites gathered to its standard
until 1t became the strongest power in
the islands. During May and June
the increase in membership was
enormous and about the 1st of July
arms and ammunition began to arrive.
Then, for the first time, the league
threw off its secrecy and boldly declared
its intentions. demanding of the king a
new constitution, and there is every in
dicatiOn that the new policy and CON
stitution will be ratified by public vote
in September. If, on the other hand,
the king succeeds in controlling the
election, serious trouble may be ex-
pected.
Among the arrivals by the steamer
were three members of the kings per-
sonal staff, one of them Gen. Hayley,
who has for many years been in COM
mand of the military forces of the
isla nd. The object of his visit is kept
a profound secret.